jìn rù zhèn fǎ de gǔ mó gòng yǒu shù bǎi zhī duō ， xiū wèi cēn cī bù qǐ ， měi gè rén de zāo yù ， nà zì rán shì jiǒng rán xiāng yì 。＠ suí ＠ mèng ＠ xiǎo ＠ shuō ，.com
进入阵法的古魔共有数百之多，修为参差不起，每个人的遭遇，那自然是迥然相异。＠随＠梦＠小＠说，.com
Hundreds of ancient demons entered the array, their cultivation levels ranging widely. Their fates varied greatly depending on their individual circumstances.
zhǐ wén cǎn jiào shēng bù jué yú ěr duǒ ， jǐn jǐn jǐ xī de gōng fu ， nà xiē yuán yīng qī yǐ xià de ， jiù quán bù yǔn luò diào le ， zhè yàng de jiā huo ， lián dì yī bō gōng jī dōu wú fǎ chēng guò 。
只闻惨叫声不绝于耳朵，仅仅几息的功夫，那些元婴期以下的，就全部陨落掉了，这样的家伙，连第一波攻击都无法撑过。
The惨叫声 never ceased as those below the婴期 all perished in just a few breaths; such weaklings couldn't even withstand the first wave of attacks.
zhǐ jiàn bīng shǐ léi huǒ suǒ shì fàng de líng guāng bù tíng shǎn shuò ， tā men shèn zhì lián zì jǐ zěn me sǐ de dōu bù xiǎo de ， zhè pào huī dāng dé bàn diǎn yì yì yě wú ， gēn běn jiù méi yǒu shì tàn chū cǐ zhèn fǎ de shēn qiǎn qiáng ruò 。
只见冰矢雷火所释放的灵光不停闪烁，他们甚至连自己怎么死的都不晓得，这炮灰当得半点意义也无，根本就没有试探出此阵法的深浅强弱。
Only the flickering light from Ice Arrow Thunder Fire kept appearing and disappearing, but they didn’t know how they died. Their sacrifices were meaningless, failing to test the depth or strength of this array.
rán ér qí tā gǔ mó de biǎo qíng què nán kàn yǐ jí ， xīn zhōng chōng mǎn le tù sǐ hú bēi zhī yì ， zhì zhuó bù qián ， zhè dì yī bō gōng jī ， tā men kě yǐ chēng guò qù ， rán ér zhè bù guò kāi shǐ shì ér yǐ ， yǎn qián de zhèn fǎ ， bǐ xiǎng xiàng de kě pà dé duō ， zài wǎng lǐ chuǎng huì bú huì quán bù mìng guī dì fǔ 。
然而其他古魔的表情却难看以极，心中充满了兔死狐悲之意，掷镯不前，这第一波攻击，他们可以撑过去，然而这不过开始是而已，眼前的阵法，比想象的可怕得多，再往里闯会不会全部命归地府。
However, the expressions on other ancient demons turned extremely grim as they felt a sense of sympathy for their fallen comrades. They hesitated, unwilling to advance further. The first wave could be endured, but the current array was far more terrifying than expected. Would they all meet their end here?
“ zěn me ， xiǎo jiā huo ， zhè jiù hài pà le ？” nà tiān lán shuāng mó zhōng nán zi de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， dài zhe jī cháo zhī sè ：“ dǎn xiǎo rú shǔ ， zhēn shì gěi wǒ men shèng zú diū liǎn ， hái bù kuài diǎn xíng dòng ， fǒu zé …… běn zūn zhě kě yào bù kè qì le 。”
“怎么，小家伙，这就害怕了？”那天岚双魔中男子的声音传入耳朵，带着讥嘲之色：“胆小如鼠，真是给我们圣族丢脸，还不快点行动，否则……本尊者可要不客气了。”
"Little fellow, are you scared already?" A voice from one of the Twin Heaven Demons taunted, "A mouse’s courage, truly a disgrace to our holy race. Hurry up and act; otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to be unkind."
huà yīn kān luò ， zhǐ jiàn tā yòu shǒu tái qǐ ， yě méi yǒu duō yú de dòng zuò ， jiù kàn jiàn yī lǚ mó yán cóng zhǐ jiān jī shè ér chū 。
话音刊落，只见他右手抬起，也没有多余的动作，就看见一缕魔炎从指尖激射而出。
With his words, he raised his right hand, and a thread of demonic flames shot out.
nà mó yán bù guò zhǐ jiǎ gài dà de yì diǎn ， dùn sù què ràng rén chēng mù jié shé ， bèi miáo zhǔn de jiā huo gēn běn jiù duǒ wú kě duǒ ， zhí jiē bèi nà lǚ mó yán jī zhòng diào le ！
那魔炎不过指甲盖大的一点，遁速却让人瞠目结舌，被瞄准的家伙根本就躲无可躲，直接被那缕魔炎击中掉了！
Though only as big as a fingernail, the speed was astonishing. The targeted demons had nowhere to hide and were directly hit by the flame!
cǎn jiào shēng dà zuò ， nà mó yán yī pèng chù tā de shēn tǐ ， jiù fǎng fú jiāng shén me gěi diǎn rán diào le ， xùn sù bào zhǎng ， jiāng tā cóng tóu dào jiǎo ， zhěng gè gěi bāo guǒ qǐ lái le 。
惨叫声大做，那魔炎一碰触他的身体，就仿佛将什么给点燃掉了，迅速暴涨，将他从头到脚，整个给包裹起来了。
A loud scream echoed as the demonic flames ignited something on contact, rapidly expanding and engulfing him from head to toe.
zhè dǎo méi de jiā huo xiū wèi bù ruò ， shì yī lí hé zhōng qī de gǔ mó ， fàng zài wài miàn ， yě suàn shì xiǎo yǒu shí lì de cún zài ， rán ér cǐ kè ， què zhǐ wén āi háo shēng bù tíng de cóng tā de zuǐ bā lǐ chuán chū ， dài zháo mó yán fā fēng bān de zài sì zhōu luàn chuǎng ， xiǎng yào pū miè huǒ yàn ， rán ér méi yǒu fēn háo yòng tú ， zài bàn kōng zhōng dǎ gǔn āi háo ， zú zú guò le jǐ shí xī de gōng fu ， cǎn jiào shēng cái zhú jiàn hòu xī xià qù le ……
这倒霉的家伙修为不弱，是一离合中期的古魔，放在外面，也算是小有实力的存在，然而此刻，却只闻哀嚎声不停的从他的嘴巴里传出，带着魔炎发疯般的在四周乱闯，想要扑灭火焰，然而没有分毫用途，在半空中打滚哀嚎，足足过了几十息的功夫，惨叫声才逐渐后息下去了……
This unfortunate demon, though not weak, was an ancient demon of mid-分离期, a formidable existence outside. But now, only wails filled his mouth as the flames roamed wildly around him, trying to extinguish them but failing miserably. He rolled on the ground in agony for several breaths before the screams gradually faded.
nà fēn shén qī nán zi de liǎn shàng lù chū mǎn yì zhī sè ， yuán běn tā mó yán de wēi lì yào qiáng dà dé duō ， gù yì ràng cǐ rén shòu zhè me jiǔ de zhé mó cái sǐ ， nǎi shì yǒu lì wēi de yì wéi 。
那分神期男子的脸上露出满意之色，原本他魔炎的威力要强大得多，故意让此人受这么久的折磨才死，乃是有立威的意围。
The man at 分神期 was pleased with this outcome; he had deliberately prolonged the demon’s suffering to establish dominance.
ér xiàn zài ， mù dì dá dào cǐ 。
而现在，目的达到此。
Now that their goal was achieved, these ancient demons, despite their reluctance, had no choice but to bravely advance. Like herding ducks into a pen, they had to push forward regardless of their feelings.
zài yí cì tǐ huì le tiān lán shuāng mó de kě pà ， nà xiē gǔ mó ， jiù suàn bǎi bān bù yuàn yì ， yě zhǐ yǒu yìng zhe tóu pí ， xiàng qián miàn chuǎng qù ， gǎn yā zi shàng jià jiù shì zhè ge dào lǐ 。
再一次体会了天岚双魔的可怕，那些古魔，就算百般不愿意，也只有硬着头皮，像前面闯去，赶鸭子上架就是这个道理。
Regardless, they needed to deal with this obstacle first.
bù guǎn rú hé ， xiān jiāng yǎn qián de nán guān yìng fù le zài shuō 。
不管如何，先将眼前的难关应付了再说。
Lin Xuan wasn’t one to be easily manipulated or intimidated. While the Five Elements Enriching Spirit Array was put aside for now, the other three arrays were formidable tools he had acquired through cunning and effort over two years. Their combined power was immense.
rán ér lín xuān yòu qǐ shì ruǎn shì zi ， kě yǐ rèn rén ná niē de ？
然而林轩又岂是软柿子，可以任人拿捏的？
Driven by the Twin Heaven Demons, the others had no choice but to rush into danger. The four arrays activated simultaneously, casting a dense web of demonic shadows and ghostly spirits that surrounded them, creating a constant rumble of explosions.
wǔ xíng yùn líng zhèn zàn qiě bù shuō ， qí tā sān tào zhèn fǎ ， yě shì tā liǎng nián lái míng qiǎng àn duó ， fèi jìn xīn jī ， hǎo bù róng yì ， cóng gè chù shōu luó ， wēi lì nà jiào yí gè fēi tóng xiǎo kě 。
五行蕴灵阵暂且不说，其他三套阵法，也是他两年来明抢暗夺，费尽心机，好不容易，从各处收罗，威力那叫一个非同小可。
In just a short while, more than half of the demons had perished, leaving only about ten survivors. Among these, five were at the 洞玄期, while the rest were at the 离合期.
cǐ shí zhòng rén shòu tiān lán shuāng mó qū cè ， bù dé yǐ mào sǐ chuǎng rù ， nà sì tào zhèn fǎ què yǐ jīng yì qǐ fā dòng le ， yī shí jiān ， mó yǐng chóng chóng ， yōu hún guǐ pò yì qǐ fēng yōng ér chū ， jiāng zhòng mó xiū tuán tuán wéi zhù ， hōng lōng lóng de bào liè shēng bù tíng chuán rù ěr duǒ 。
此时众人受天岚双魔驱策，不得已冒死闯入，那四套阵法却已经一起发动了，一时间，魔影重重，幽魂鬼魄一起蜂拥而出，将众魔修团团围住，轰隆隆的爆裂声不停传入耳朵。
The survival of those in the 洞玄期 was due to their strength, but for the others, luck played a role as well.
zhuǎn yǎn ， yī zhǎn chá de gōng fu guò qù le 。
转眼，一盏茶的功夫过去了。
Now that they had faced this situation, it was clear: without breaking through the array, such heavy losses would continue. Moving forward meant certain death.
mó xiū men yǐ yǔn luò le shí zhī **， hái xìng cún de ， zhǐ shèng xià shí yú gè ， zhè xiē rén zhī zhōng ， chú le wǔ míng dòng xuán qī gǔ mó ， qí tā de ， yě dōu shì lí hé jí bié de 。
魔修们已陨落了十之**，还幸存的，只剩下十余个，这些人之中，除了五名洞玄期古魔，其他的，也都是离合级别的。
"Companions, serving as cannon fodder is a fate of certain death. It’s better to fight those two old monsters than to die here," said an ancient demon with a harsh voice.
nà dòng xuán gǔ mó néng bù yǔn luò ， píng de nǎi shì shí lì ， ér qí tā lí hé jí bié de mó xiū ， yī jiù néng gòu zhàn zài zhè lǐ ， huò duō huò shǎo ， dōu yī lài le yì diǎn yùn qì 。
那洞玄古魔能不陨落，凭的乃是实力，而其他离合级别的魔修，依旧能够站在这里，或多或少，都依赖了一点运气。
They were deep within the array, and even the Twin Heaven Demons couldn’t track their movements now.
rán ér ， shì qíng dào le zhè yī bù ， qíng kuàng yǐ shì hěn míng liǎo le ， tā men yī zhèn wèi pò ， sǔn shī jiù cǎn zhòng dào rú cǐ dì bù ， zài wǎng qián chōng ， xiǎn rán yě jiù shì yí gè sǐ zì 。
然而，事情到了这一步，情况已是很明了了，他们一阵未破，损失就惨重到如此地步，再往前冲，显然也就是一个死字。
"Fighting, what资格 do we have? We may be many, but even tied together, we can't defeat a 分神期 being. And there are two of them," a woman’s voice echoed with frustration.
“ gè wèi dào yǒu ， dāng pào huī nǎi shì shí sǐ wú shēng de jié jú ， yǔ qí bù míng bù bái de yǔn luò zài cǐ dì ， bù rú yǔ nà liǎng gè lǎo guài wù pīn le 。” yī shuāng tóu gǔ mó tíng xià jiǎo bù ， è shēng è qì de kāi kǒu le 。
“各位道友，当炮灰乃是十死无生的结局，与其不明不白的陨落在此地，不如与那两个老怪物拼了。”一双头古魔停下脚步，恶声恶气的开口了。
Being cannon fodder meant death, as did fighting the Twin Heaven Demons. Why was fate so cruel?
cǐ shí tā men yǐ wèi yú zhèn fǎ de shēn chù ， xiāng xìn jí biàn shì tiān lán shuāng mó ， yě wú fǎ zài zhǎng wò tā men de yī jǔ yī dòng 。
此时他们已位于阵法的深处，相信即便是天岚双魔，也无法再掌握他们的一举一动。
"Madam, your words are wrong. With just us, it's impossible to fight the Twin Heaven Demons, but if we add in the master who set up this array," said the two-headed ancient demon.
“ pīn ， wǒ men yǒu shén me zī gé ， wǒ men suī rán rén duō ， dàn jí biàn shì bǎng zài yì qǐ ， yě dǎ bù guò yī míng fèn shén jí bié de jiā huo ， hé kuàng duì fāng yǒu liǎng gè 。” yī nǚ zǐ de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， lǐ miàn chōng mǎn le fèn mèn zhī sè 。
“拼，我们有什么资格，我们虽然人多，但即便是绑在一起，也打不过一名分神级别的家伙，何况对方有两个。”一女子的声音传入耳朵，里面充满了愤懑之色。
The others fell silent, seeing a glimmer of hope.
dāng pào huī shì sǐ ， duì kàng tiān lán shuāng mó ， xià chǎng yě shì yī yàng de ， lǎo tiān yé tài kě wù ， gàn má jiù bù gěi zì jǐ zhè xiē rén yī tiáo huó lù 。
当炮灰是死，对抗天岚双魔，下场也是一样的，老天爷太可恶，干嘛就不给自己这些人一条活路。
"Indeed, such an array, ten out of ten chances is 分神期. If we can team up with him, even if we lose to the Twin Heaven Demons, we might still find a way out," said an old woman gripping her staff with a sinister tone.
“ xiān zi cǐ yán chà yǐ ， píng wǒ men jǐ gè ， què shí duì kàng bù liǎo tiān lán shuāng mó ， rán ér ruò zài jiā shàng bù zhì zhè zhèn fǎ de zhǔ rén ne ？” nà shuāng tóu gǔ mó rú cǐ zhè bān de kāi kǒu le 。
“仙子此言差矣，凭我们几个，确实对抗不了天岚双魔，然而若再加上布置这阵法的主人呢？”那双头古魔如此这般的开口了。
"But what if we really defeat the Twin Heaven Demons? How do we know this master won't turn on us?" another voice of concern echoed. Neither cultivators nor ancient demons cared about righteousness; betrayal was common.
qí tā jǐ rén tīng le ， yě jǐn jiē xiàn rù le chén mò ， sì hū kàn jiàn yì diǎn shēng de xī wàng le 。
其他几人听了，也尽皆陷入了沉默，似乎看见一点生的希望了。
The demons fell silent, but only for a few breaths.
“ bù cuò ， cǐ rén bù zhì de zhèn fǎ rú cǐ liǎo de ， shí yǒu ** yě shì fēn shén qī de jiā huo ， ruò néng yǔ tā lián shǒu ， jiù suàn yī jiù dǎ bù yíng tiān lán shuāng mó ， dàn yě wèi bì bù néng chuàng chū yī tiáo shēng lù 。” yī bái fà lǎo nī wò jǐn lóng tóu guǎi zhàng ， yīn sēn de yǔ qì lìng rén jí bù shū fú 。
“不错，此人布置的阵法如此了得，十有**也是分神期的家伙，若能与他联手，就算依旧打不赢天岚双魔，但也未必不能创出一条生路。”一白发老妮握紧龙头拐杖，阴森的语气令人极不舒服。
"Why think so much? Solve this problem first. Is there any other way out?" the two-headed demon said in a deep voice.
“ huà shì zhè me shuō ， rán ér jiù suàn zhēn dǎ bài tiān lán shuāng mó ， wǒ men yòu zěn me zhī dào ， cǐ dì zhǔ rén huì bú huì fān liǎn ne ？” yòu yī dān xīn de shēng yīn chuán rù ěr duǒ ， bì jìng xiū xiān zhě yě hǎo ， gǔ mó yě bà ， gēn běn jiù bù jiǎng rén yì dào dé ， fān liǎn rú tóng fān shū nà shì hěn zhèng cháng de 。
“话是这么说，然而就算真打败天岚双魔，我们又怎么知道，此地主人会不会翻脸呢？”又一担心的声音传入耳朵，毕竟修仙者也好，古魔也罢，根本就不讲仁义道德，翻脸如同翻书那是很正常的。
"Alright, I agree."
zhòng mó jiē xiàn rù le chén mò ， rán ér zhǐ bǎo chí le jǐ xī de gōng fu 。
众魔皆陷入了沉默，然而只保持了几息的功夫。
"I also agree."
“ hé bì xiǎng nà me duō ， xiān jiě jué yǎn qián de nán tí zài shuō ， chú le zhè ge bàn fǎ ， gè wèi hái yǒu shén me tuō kùn liǎng cè ？” nà shuāng tóu gǔ mó wèng shēng wèng qì de kāi kǒu le 。
“何必想那么多，先解决眼前的难题再说，除了这个办法，各位还有什么脱困两侧？”那双头古魔瓮声瓮气的开口了。
This was indeed a desperate measure, and though they were uneasy, the ancient demons agreed.
“ hǎo ba ， wǒ tóng yì 。”
“好吧，我同意。”
"How do we contact the master?"
“ wǒ yě tóng yì 。”
“我也同意。”
"We don’t need to contact him; I heard everything you said. With this array’s assistance, even the Twin Heaven Demons can be held off for a while. Soon, Lin will emerge from his meditation. Once he comes out, your lives are safe."
zhè què shí shì méi yǒu zhǔ yì de zhǔ yì ， zhòng gǔ mó suī xīn zhōng tǎn tè ， dàn hái shì fēn fēn kāi kǒu biǎo shì zhī chí le 。
这确实是没有主意的主意，众古魔虽心中忐忑，但还是纷纷开口表示支持了。
At that moment, a calm voice echoed. Although Lin Xuan was at the critical stage of breaking through his cultivation barrier, he still kept a fragment of his spirit consciousness to seize this opportunity. He continued his breakthrough as his second元婴 emerged and spoke.
“ kě wǒ men yòu zěn me yǔ cǐ jiān de zhǔ rén lián luò ？”
“可我们又怎么与此间的主人联络？”
However, the demons were skeptical; it seemed like they were being used again!
“ bù yòng lián luò ， nǐ men suǒ shuō ， wǒ dōu tīng jiàn le ， yǒu zhèn fǎ xiàng zhù ， nǐ men zài cóng páng fǔ zhù ， jí shǐ shì tiān lán shuāng mó ， yě kě yǐ lán xià yī duàn shí jiān de ， zài guò piàn kè ， lín mǒu jiù kě yǐ chū guān ， zhǐ yào wǒ chū lái ， nǐ men de xìng mìng ， zì rán wú ài 。”
“不用联络，你们所说，我都听见了，有阵法相助，你们再从旁辅助，即使是天岚双魔，也可以拦下一段时间的，再过片刻，林某就可以出关，只要我出来，你们的性命，自然无碍。”
They had no choice but to believe in Lin Xuan, hoping he truly had the strength to defeat the Twin Heaven Demons and kept his word. Meanwhile, the Twin Heaven Demons noticed something was amiss as well, though they couldn’t track what the others were doing, the swirling demon fog stopped.
Hundreds of ancient demons entered the array, their cultivation levels ranging widely. Their fates varied greatly depending on their individual circumstances.
The惨叫声 never ceased as those below the婴期 all perished in just a few breaths; such weaklings couldn't even withstand the first wave of attacks.
Only the flickering light from Ice Arrow Thunder Fire kept appearing and disappearing, but they didn’t know how they died. Their sacrifices were meaningless, failing to test the depth or strength of this array.
However, the expressions on other ancient demons turned extremely grim as they felt a sense of sympathy for their fallen comrades. They hesitated, unwilling to advance further. The first wave could be endured, but the current array was far more terrifying than expected. Would they all meet their end here?
"Little fellow, are you scared already?" A voice from one of the Twin Heaven Demons taunted, "A mouse’s courage, truly a disgrace to our holy race. Hurry up and act; otherwise, I’ll have no choice but to be unkind."
With his words, he raised his right hand, and a thread of demonic flames shot out.
Though only as big as a fingernail, the speed was astonishing. The targeted demons had nowhere to hide and were directly hit by the flame!
"Ahh!"
A loud scream echoed as the demonic flames ignited something on contact, rapidly expanding and engulfing him from head to toe.
This unfortunate demon, though not weak, was an ancient demon of mid-分离期, a formidable existence outside. But now, only wails filled his mouth as the flames roamed wildly around him, trying to extinguish them but failing miserably. He rolled on the ground in agony for several breaths before the screams gradually faded.
The man at 分神期 was pleased with this outcome; he had deliberately prolonged the demon’s suffering to establish dominance.
Now that their goal was achieved, these ancient demons, despite their reluctance, had no choice but to bravely advance. Like herding ducks into a pen, they had to push forward regardless of their feelings.
Regardless, they needed to deal with this obstacle first.
Lin Xuan wasn’t one to be easily manipulated or intimidated. While the Five Elements Enriching Spirit Array was put aside for now, the other three arrays were formidable tools he had acquired through cunning and effort over two years. Their combined power was immense.
Driven by the Twin Heaven Demons, the others had no choice but to rush into danger. The four arrays activated simultaneously, casting a dense web of demonic shadows and ghostly spirits that surrounded them, creating a constant rumble of explosions.
In just a short while, more than half of the demons had perished, leaving only about ten survivors. Among these, five were at the 洞玄期, while the rest were at the 离合期.
The survival of those in the 洞玄期 was due to their strength, but for the others, luck played a role as well.
Now that they had faced this situation, it was clear: without breaking through the array, such heavy losses would continue. Moving forward meant certain death.
"Companions, serving as cannon fodder is a fate of certain death. It’s better to fight those two old monsters than to die here," said an ancient demon with a harsh voice.
They were deep within the array, and even the Twin Heaven Demons couldn’t track their movements now.
"Fighting, what资格 do we have? We may be many, but even tied together, we can't defeat a 分神期 being. And there are two of them," a woman’s voice echoed with frustration.
Being cannon fodder meant death, as did fighting the Twin Heaven Demons. Why was fate so cruel?
"Madam, your words are wrong. With just us, it's impossible to fight the Twin Heaven Demons, but if we add in the master who set up this array," said the two-headed ancient demon.
The others fell silent, seeing a glimmer of hope.
"Indeed, such an array, ten out of ten chances is 分神期. If we can team up with him, even if we lose to the Twin Heaven Demons, we might still find a way out," said an old woman gripping her staff with a sinister tone.
"But what if we really defeat the Twin Heaven Demons? How do we know this master won't turn on us?" another voice of concern echoed. Neither cultivators nor ancient demons cared about righteousness; betrayal was common.
The demons fell silent, but only for a few breaths.
"Why think so much? Solve this problem first. Is there any other way out?" the two-headed demon said in a deep voice.
"Alright, I agree."
"I also agree."
This was indeed a desperate measure, and though they were uneasy, the ancient demons agreed.
"How do we contact the master?"
"We don’t need to contact him; I heard everything you said. With this array’s assistance, even the Twin Heaven Demons can be held off for a while. Soon, Lin will emerge from his meditation. Once he comes out, your lives are safe."
At that moment, a calm voice echoed. Although Lin Xuan was at the critical stage of breaking through his cultivation barrier, he still kept a fragment of his spirit consciousness to seize this opportunity. He continued his breakthrough as his second元婴 emerged and spoke.
However, the demons were skeptical; it seemed like they were being used again!
They had no choice but to believe in Lin Xuan, hoping he truly had the strength to defeat the Twin Heaven Demons and kept his word. Meanwhile, the Twin Heaven Demons noticed something was amiss as well, though they couldn’t track what the others were doing, the swirling demon fog stopped.